E3 2009 Preview Of Nyko's New Peripherals

During E3 2009, I had the chance to sit down with some reps from peripheral manufacturer Nyko and check out some of the company’s upcoming products for the PSP Nintendo DSi and Wii.

The first product I saw was the new Charge Grip Flex for the PSP 2000 and 3000. In addition to featuring a built-in rechargeable battery with 1.5 times more charge time, the coolest additions are the swivel hand grips, which unfold to make the PSP look and feel like a console controller. When the pads are folded under, you still have a much more solid grip than normal, but when you unfold the pads, the difference is very noticeable, and will no doubt make marathon PSP sessions much easier on your hands.

Then we moved on to the Zoom Case for Nintendo DSi. While there’s nothing all that special about the protective case, other than it allows full access to all ports and is designed for long-term use, the inclusion of an 8x optical zoom lens is rather unique. The lens easily snaps in and out over the DSi’s built-in camera, and can be used to take some pretty impressively details pictures from a solid distance. It won’t be replacing your digital camera anytime soon, but it’s a solid enough innovation, especially if it can be incorporated into some kind of private investigator game down the line somewhere.

On the Wii side, I was able to try out the new Type Pad Pro ($19.99 when it's released later this year), which puts the power of a full QWERTY keyboard into your Wii-loving hands. Now, the Type Pad Pro does supports Nintendo’s Wiimote, but if you use Nyko’s own Wand remote, you’ll be able to take advantage of Nyko’s Trans-Port Technology, which maps the A and B buttons on the remote to the Type Pad Pro. This means more fluid control, as you don’t have to let go of the controller to push buttons on the Wand/Wiimote. It might sound like a small thing, but when you have the device in your hand, you can really feel the difference.

All in all, Nyko's newest peripherals are nicely designed and offer some very useful and welcomed gaming options for players looking to get the most out of their favorite consoles/handheld devices.